The noise level at a personal communication system (PCS) base station is the determining quantity in the uplink. The noise levels of base stations vary greatly as a result of the variance among the many different factors affecting the noise levels. Sensitivity of a base station can be increased by the presence of a tower-top low-noise amplifier (LNA).
However, in the past, PCS providers select an LNA having a given gain which may be too high or too low for a particular base station. Consequently, an expensive LNA having a high gain may not be needed for a particular base station. Similarly, an inexpensive LNA having a low gain may not be sufficient for a particular base station.